UPDATE: West Ham’s Ollie Scarles was left in tears after a devastating mistake handed Fulham a 1-0 victory at the London Stadium on December 9, 2023. The defeat has intensified the Hammers’ relegation fears as they now sit five points adrift of safety.
With just five minutes remaining, Scarles, a 20-year-old full-back, misplayed a clearance, allowing Fulham’s Harry Wilson to assist Raul Jimenez, who scored the game’s only goal. “We are all disappointed and sad, but we stick together,” said West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo. “He has our total confidence and support. Mistakes are part of the game.”
West Ham’s hopes of escaping the relegation zone were shattered as they failed to capitalize on Manchester City’s earlier victory against Nottingham Forest, which had provided an opportunity to close the gap to 17th place to just two points. Instead, they remain in a perilous position after a series of poor performances, having won only two home games this season and lost their last six London derbies.
The atmosphere at the London Stadium was tense, with fans holding up red cards and chanting “sack the board” in protest against owner David Sullivan and vice-chair Karren Brady. The Hammers have taken just three points from their last seven matches, a form that spells relegation.
“I felt the momentum was ours; we created situations,” Nuno added. “We can spend hours and hours talking about all the aspects, but basically when you don’t score, the situation that we are in, everything bad happens to us.”
For Fulham, the victory marked their third consecutive win, the first time they have achieved this in nearly three years. Manager Marco Silva praised his players, stating, “Three wins in a row in the Premier League is very difficult to achieve, so the players deserve all the credit.”
As West Ham faces a crucial stretch of matches against teams that are seen as winnable, including Brighton and Nottingham Forest, the pressure mounts. Their next match against Wolverhampton will be pivotal in their quest to avoid relegation.
With emotions running high and crucial matches ahead, all eyes will be on West Ham as they seek to turn their fortunes around and support young players like Scarles in overcoming this setback.
